He holds the Guiness Book of World Records‘ record for the most tango-spins in one minute. Ferriss and his dance partner, Alicia Monti, set the record live, on the show Live with Regis and Kelly. In 2008, he won Wired Magazine‘s “Greatest Self-Promoter of All Time” prize and was named one of Fast Company‘s “Most Innovative Business People of 2007”. The Aspen Institute named Ferriss a 2009 Henry Crown Fellow. The Fellowship is designed to engage the next generation of leaders in the challenge of community-spirited leadership. Ferriss was one of only 21 individuals named from the U.S.

He is known for his application of both Pareto Principle and Parkinson’s Law to business and personal life. He has also taken the position that technology such as email and instant messaging and internet-enabled PDA’s complicate life rather than simplify it. His teachings fit under the umbrella of what he calls “lifestyle design”, in which he promotes “mini-retirements” as an alternative to the “deferred-life” career path where one would work a 9-to-5 job until retirement in the 60’s. This involves breaking what he calls “outdated assumptions” and finding ways to be more effective so that work takes up less of people’s time.